Second Chances: The Life of Raditz
by V-ChanUzumakiLSSJ
Summary: [In-Progress] *Chapters 1-5 revised!* Goku's dying words to Raditz sparks something within the latter that leads to a gradual change. And just how will this gradual change within Raditz affect the upcoming battles and fights? Read to find out. Romance in later chapters. Starts from the beginning of Dbz and goes all the way through the Buu saga. Rated T for language and violence.
1. Raditz arrives!

Disclaimer - I own nothing.

A/N: 8th fic. 1st attempt at a R/18 pairing. Alright, so let me know what you think of this chapter. I did the best I could with this chapter and put a lot of effort into it. Reviews are welcomed, and flames aren't. I do appreciate constructive criticism. And also, if you can't handle the thought of 18 being paired up with someone other than Krillin, then please don't read.

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Chapter 1: Raditz Arrives! Gohan is Kidnapped! Saiyan heritage revealed!

It was a rather peaceful day. The sky was coated with a beautiful blue, and the atmosphere was filled with white, puffy clouds. The sun wasn't anywhere in sight, and for some that was a relief; for the sun's heat this past week was on the verge of bordering unbearable, and to get a day of no sun and simply a cool, not-too-windy day instead, left very little complaints among the inhabitants of Earth.

Unfortunately, this rather peaceful day wouldn't turn out that way for everyone...

A well-built man stepped out of a round, white space pod that just crashed into the grounds of Earth, approximately a minute ago. He was tall and contained the most unusual long, black spiky hair that one would certainly label as abnormal. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the only thing deemed as abnormal, for the length of this particular man's hair was certainly extraordinary - the man's long hair concluded at his knees, probably even longer than that if such a thing was possible.

His face was clouded with confidence and a strong air of determination seemed to cling to him as he scanned the area - which happened to be a plain grassy field, similar in appearance to a clearing - with a peculiar device attached to his face, seemingly searching something in particular. A strange looking appendage could be spotted as well - which one would best identify as an tail - and was firmly wrapped around the owner's waist. As for his attire, it consisted of some type of armor that appeared to be consisted of two colors known as brown and black.

The man's eyes finally fixated on a direction as his scouter locked on a few power levels not too far away.

"Pathetic," he muttered as he proceeded to take off in the direction of what his scouter deemed was closest only to be interrupted by a voice.

"Hey! Who are you?! " A short, plump man with glasses and a pitchfork in his hand, called out suddenly, a lever-action rifle in his possession. The short, plump man had black hair, and a pair of blue overalls on with what appeared to be a plaid yellow shirt containing black horizontal and vertical lines.

The farmer had been minding his own business when he noticed something descending from the sky and into his field at incredible speeds, and he had immediately got into his truck to go check it out. However, what he found when he arrived on site, he was not prepared for; for he had found himself staring down at a rather large crater with a weird looking pod of some sort, and moments later, he saw a strange looking man emerge from the pod.

Raditz raised an eyebrow, simply smirking at the farmer in silence as he lifted an hand to press a button the device attached to his face.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" The farmer insisted, not quite sure what the person in front of him was doing.

"Tch. A power level of 5? Is this worthless planet drenched with weaklings?"

The farmer shot him a confused looked, unsure of what he was talking about, but quickly dismissed it. Deeming it best to be safe than sorry, the farmer positioned his gun and fired a shot only to see his target seemingly catch and crush the bullet with his bare hands.

The overall-wearing man didn't know what hit him when Raditz suddenly phased in front of him, and unleash a ki blast into his stomach, ceasing the farmer's existence in the blink of an eye.

Raditz peered down at the motionless man for a moment, a smirk on his features before proceeding to return to what he was sent here to here to do in the first place. Not wasting another second, he clicked a button on his scouter with his left hand and waited as it tracked down the power level his scouter detected earlier, before taking off in that direction.

(Scene Change)

"Hi, everyone!"Goku greeted cheerily as he, along with a young boy, entered the Kame house, home of the turtle hermit himself.

Goku had planned for his son to meet a few of his friends today, and decided to head over to Kame house; he hadn't seen any of his friends in a while. Luckily, Chi-Chi, whom was against him introducing their son to his friends at first, had finally relented at a little of pleading, and he couldn't be happier.

Master Roshi and Bulma looked up from what they were doing, surprised to hear an all-too-familiar voice after such a long time. Master Roshi was first to speak. "Why, hello, Goku. "

"Hey, Master Roshi." Goku responded, before shortly questioning afterwards, "where's Krillin? " The black-haired Saiyan's onyx eyes were already searching for his life-long best friend.

"He took a trip to the bathroom, he'll be out in a minute. " The turtle hermit supplied.

Goku nodded. "Ohh."

"Hey, Goku," Bulma called out suddenly, causing Goku's attention to now be fixated on her, "who's the kid?" the blue-haired woman inquired curiously. She hadn't noticed the kid at first since he was seemingly lost in Goku's shadow, but now that she had noticed him, she was beyond curious as to who he was.

Goku looked down before smiling, as if suddenly remembering that Gohan was with him. "Oh! This is my son, Gohan."

"Wow, time sure has went by fast. " Master Roshi stated, observing the young boy now that it has been called to his attention.

"Yeah," agreed Bulma, "You can sure say that again. I noticed that he has a dragon ball on his hat, too. "

"Yep." Goku answered. "He sure does."

Bulma squatted down in front of Gohan once she reached him." Hey, kid, my name's Bulma. How old are you?"

Gohan shyly peeked from behind his dad's pants leg before timidly raising up four fingers," I'm four."

Bulma smiled lightly. "And just what do you want to be when you get older, kid?"

"I want to be a scholar. " Gohan declared proudly.

Bulma looked at Gohan stunned, not quite sure of what to say, "A scholar?," she repeated. Yep. That was definitely Chi-Chi's doing, but she supposed she couldn't blame the black-haired woman. Her husband, after all, wasn't exactly the...brightest around.

Gohan merely nodded, "Yes ma'am. "

(Scene Change )

"If you don't know where Kakarot is, then you're wasting my time." Raditz stated irritably, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he stared at the Namekian in front of him with a look of disinterest and mild irritation. It turned out that the power level he detected wasn't who he was looking for, but the Namekian was being rather difficult and far from cooperative.

Piccolo scoffed, "If it's a fight you're after with Goku, then fine, but don't dismiss me as if I were insignificant."

Raditz laughed, as if Piccolo had told him the most funniest thing in the universe. This fool was telling him, of all people, what to do? And who the hell was this Goku? He could have sworn he stated Kakarott, but that wasn't important at the moment. "Or what?" He challenged. "What will you do? Your power level is nothing compared to mine."

Piccolo growled before firing a blast at Raditz. How dare he talk to him like that?

Raditz smirked once the debris and smoke from Piccolo's attack cleared, "It seems that it's my turn now. "

Piccolo gasped in shock, before recovering quickly and then sliding into his fighting stance. His eyes were wide, and if one looked closely enough one would be able to see small, beads of sweat forming.

Just as Raditz was about to attack, his scouter beeped indicating that the second and last strongest power level this planet contained, wasn't that far away. He smirked before taking off to the air, "You got lucky."

Piccolo scoffed, but said nothing. Instead, he exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding in and watched as Raditz took off, somewhat relieved.

###

"This should be him. After all, this is the only strongest power level his scouter picked up besides that Namekian," he said aloud to no one in particular.

With that said, Raditz picked up his speed, following the directions, his scouter provided him.

He scoffed as he flew over several people, "Kakarot should have already wiped these weaklings out. It's looks like he didn't follow through with his mission after all."

He then clicked his scouter again, "I should be there in about 20 more miles."

%%%

Raditz floated above the small, spacious island before quickly checking his scouter and confirming that this was indeed where the power level was located. He then descended on the island, capturing the attention of an old man, a bald-headed midget, a woman with blue hair, and finally Kakarot, the latter appearing to be preparing to depart.

"Who are you? And why are you here? " Someone called out to him, but he paid them no heed.

Raditz saw a short, bald-headed man approach him out the corner of his eyes, but Raditz simply ignored him, deeming him insignificant, his attention focused solely on his younger brother, " Kakarot! Explain yourself! Why are these pathetic weaklings still alive? "

Goku looked at Raditz in confusion. "What? My name's Goku, not Kakarot! And what do you mean pathetic weaklings? I hope you're not talking about the people of Earth! "

Raditz looked at Goku in disgust. What the hell? "Kakarot, stop this foolishness at once! You're mission was to eliminate everyone, why haven't you carried out your mission?! "

"For the last time, my name is Goku! And I would never harm the people of earth! My job is to protect them, not kill them! I don't know where you came from, but I think you better leave before I make you! "

Raditz looked at Goku in shock, "Stop acting like a Moron! Did you fall on your head? And where is your tail?! You're a Saiyan for goodness sake! "

"Huh? Oh, I cut it off. Why does it matter? And I'm not a Saiyan or whatever that is, I'm an Earthling. "

He chuckled bitterly, "Are you insane?! I'm certain you fell on your damn head now! "

Goku started to speak again, but Master Roshi spoke up first, "Actually, Goku, you're grandfather, Gohan, did mention he found you in a weird space pod years back and took you in his care. So, technically, you're not human. Your grandfather mentioned that you were quite a handful until you fell and had an accident on your head one day. He said he was surprised you even survived, but from then on you were the kindest, gentlest kid he ever known. "

"Well, that doesn't matter." Raditz cut in. "I suppose it's not too late to carry out your mission. You are my younger brother and a Saiyan, after all, and our race is on the verge of extinction, so perhaps it can be overlooked. We Saiyans _clean_ off planets to sell for profit, and even though you didn't _clean_ off this planet, you can make up for it with other ones. Join me and get away from these weaklings."

Krillin approached closer, seemingly having enough of this whole exchange. Just who did this guy think he was, claiming to be Goku's brother? "Hey! I believe he's already said you should leave. Perhaps you need to be escorted."

"Krillin! Don't!" Goku shouted.

Krillin ignored Goku's plea, still approaching Raditz. Raditz smirked before revealing his tail and smacking Krillin with it, sending him flying backwards without much effort.

Goku growled as he subtly tried to push Gohan towards Bulma, but unfortunately for him, his son didn't seem to want to move. Luckily, Bulma had caught on, and began assisting him. "I think you better leave. Whether I'm a Saiyan or not, I refuse to harm innocent people. "

Raditz rolled his eyes, trying to refrain from losing his patience, but his brother was making it complicated. "Think about this - "

Goku cut him off, " - I have; my answer is final."

"Fine." Raditz stated unfolding his arms. He had enough of this, and he didn't have time to fool around. "Then I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

"Fine." Goku spat back.

He raised an eyebrow, finally noticing a small boy behind his brother's leg. It didn't the long-haired Saiyan to put two and two together. "Kakarot, is that kid yours?"

Goku pushed Gohan further towards Bulma. "No." He denied. "Now leave."

Raditz smirked as an idea suddenly came to mind, proceeding to walk towards his younger brother, his tail lashing back and forth behind him. "You can't fool me, it seems as if I have a nephew. "

"Stay back, or you'll regret it! " Goku yelled out, prepared to launch at Raditz at any moment now if he showed any indicators of harming his son or friends.

Raditz kept walking and Goku charged at him, "Stay away!"

Raditz said nothing in response, instead he delivered a painful knee to the Kakarot's stomach, before snatching up his nephew, causing him to cry out in protest as an result. "Slaughter a 100 people by tomorrow and maybe then I can give you back your son."

Goku groaned in pain as he watched Raditz take off with his only son.

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	2. A Second Chance

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 2: A Second Chance

Raditz expertly descended from the skies, landing within half a mile away from his space pod, still holding onto a wailing Gohan. The damn kid wouldn't shut the hell up the whole flight back, and as annoying as it was to put up with, it was probably the only way to get his brother back to his senses. They needed as many Saiyans as possible if they wanted to overthrow Frieza one day, plus due to a certain occurence involving the end of his home planet, the Saiyan race was nearly extinct save for a few of them, so if his pathetic excuse of a Saiyan of a brother could clean up his act, then their chances of getting rid of Frieza would increase.

Raditz scrunched up his face in annoyance, getting tired of hearing his nephew's continous wails. Without a moment's hestitation, Raditz harshly threw Gohan into his space pod, effectively muffling Gohan's crying. Once Gohan was in the space pod, Raditz crossed his arms over his broad chest, and waited patiently. He could only hope that Kakarot would do as he said. If not, then he was afraid his brother wouldn't be seeing his son again. Perhaps, he could even take the brat back with him.

From the looks of things, the kid could use some toughening up. He probably didn't even know about his Saiyan heritage seeing as his damn moron of a father didn't even know he was a Saiyan himself. The fool thought he was an Earthling.

This backwater planet should have been empty, all other inhabitants killed and dead already. If his brother could kill a hundred people by tomorrow, then maybe there was hope for him, after all. But even so, he seriously doubted Kakarot had the audacity to do it. This planet has made him too soft, he became too soft. What a shame. He, Vegeta, and Nappa could use another comrade. If only he accepted his offer the first time, then he wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.

Kakarot had no one to blame, but himself.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when his scouter went off, signaling that two power levels were heading his way at incredible speeds. Why am I not surprised, Raditz thought to himself, smirking as he watched Kakarot and the Namekian descend and land not too far away from him. "Well, well," he began mockingly," look who we have here. If it isn't my brother, Kakarot, and it seems as if he brought a friend along as well."

"We're not here for games, Raditz! Now tell me where my son is! " Goku demanded.

"You have nothing to worry about." Raditz answered calmly, as if Goku had no reason to be upset. "My nephew is safe for now, but I highly suggest you kill a hundred people if you want your son back."

Goku let out a low growl, "And you say you're my brother?! Something must be terribly wrong, because any brother of mine that hunt and kill people like animals is no brother of mine! "

Raditz scowled. "Just as I suspected, you're soft - "

"I hate to ruin the family reunion," Piccolo interrupted impatiently, grasping his white cape and turban, "but we did come here for a reason, _right_ Goku?"

"Right!" Goku turned his head back to Raditz, staring at his older brother with nothing but pure determination. " You're going down!"

Raditz threw his head back, his shoulders moving up and down as he laughed boisterously. And here, he thought his brother couldn't get any more hopeless. Apparently, he was mistaken. "Don't be delusional, Kakarot."

Raditz watched as his younger brother charged at him with a battle cry, and than began throwing multiple attacks at him ranging from punches to kicks.

Raditz dodged all of Goku's attacks skillfully with ease, and sent a couple of swift punches at his brother, causing Goku to scream in pain each time one of his punches made contact.

Piccolo then stepped in, charging at Raditz, and fighting along side with Goku. Despite their efforts, however, neither of them were lasting long, forcing Piccolo and Goku, to quickly realize that unless they came up with something - anything - then they stood no chance of defeating the ridiculously long-haired Saiyan. It was as if no matter what they did, their attempts proved to be futile, and that statement proved to be true every time Raditz easily countered or deflected their attacks as if it was nothing, even when the both of them attempted to take him on simultaneously.

"You don't seem to value your life, Namekian."

Raditz sent Piccolo flying backwards with a blast, a blast so powerful that it shredded Piccolo's arm. He smirked at the sight, obviously pleased with the damage he dished out, before turning his attention back to his brother, "All of this could have been avoided, if you just listened," mocked Raditz as he continued to fight his brother, before suddenly delivering a hard kick towards Goku, sending him flying back as well due to the force of his kick.

Goku panted heavily as he staggered up, determined to win. He'd get his son back at all costs. He wouldn't let Raditz attain victory, brother or not, he had to be defeated. And with that thought in mind, Goku was prepared to charge again, but halted his movements when he heard Piccolo call his name.

"Huh? What is it?" Goku answered.

"I have a plan. I have an attack that can end him now, but you have to keep him busy for five minutes.

Goku nodded, "Okay. Got it." Five minutes he reminded himself mentally. All he had to do was keep him occupied for five minutes, and then this would all come to an end.

Goku charged at Raditz again. The both of them duking it out as soon as Goku reached his older brother, though it was needless to say that it was mostly one-sided on Goku's part, and Goku was well aware that'd it be one-sided, but he refused to back down. His son was counting on him, and he wouldn't let him down. So, if that meant that he had to engage Raditz in a battle he had no chance of winning at the moment, then so be it. He had all of his faith in Piccolo's plan.

Not even two minutes later after the spiky-haired Saiyan's resoultion, Raditz easily overpowered him, ultimately worsening his condition. But Goku, in a desperate need to buy time, suddenly held out his hands and positioned them, a blue orb beginning to come to life. "Kaaa-meeeh- haaa-meeh- HA!"

The long-haired Saiyan jolted back, startled at such a display, his eyes wide. How was that even possible? That amount ki coming from one attack. His scouter beeped, detecting the same thing happening with the Namekian. He immediately turned his attention towards Piccolo and growled. Damn it! He could do it, too?

Raditz was just about to launch at Piccolo, seemingly forgetting about his brother's earlier display, but Goku, whom had been preparing his attack the whole time, fired the Kamehameha wave, seizing the opportunity of Raditz being distracted.

Raditz cursed when he saw Goku's attack approaching, and quickly realizing that he wouldn't be able to run from it, held out his hands, nullifying the attack once it came close enough. Damn, he thought to himself, he couldn't get distracted like that again. With that said, he then fired a blast of his own, hitting Goku dead on and severely wounding him as a result.

The older brother of Goku stalked towards his brother in order to finish him off, but was interrupted, "SPECIAL BEAM CANON! "

Raditz mentally chastised himself, just barely dodging Piccolo's attack; for the attack hit his shoulder pads and injured his shoulder. Damn it! That was the second time! "I'm going to kill you!," he yelled angrily as he prepared to launch at Piccolo.

Goku quickly grabbed his tail, seizing yet another opportunity. "Piccolo!" Goku shouted loudly. "Do it again!"

Raditz eyes widened in fear. If he got hit with that, then it was over for him! And damn it, he wasn't ready to die yet! "No, wait! I'll change my ways!"

"Don't fall for it! It's a trick!" Piccolo called out, seeing the internal struggle Goku was having immediately following Raditz's words. He knew from experience just how soft-hearted and naïve Goku was. That fool was merciful, and had his head foolishly and blindly wrapped around the belief of giving second chances.

Goku loosened his hold and Raditz laughed evilly. The idiot actually fell for it! He couldn't believe it. "You fool! Now, you're going to die! " Raditz called out, flipping Goku over him in the process, before cruelly proceeding to stomp on his chest without mercy, causing him to scream out in agony.

"That was dirty!" yelled Goku.

Raditz shrugged, still stomping his chest, crushing a few of his ribs, smirking in the process. It wasn't his damn fault he fell for it. What the hell could he say? He was a manipulative bastard. He didn't fight fair, and certainly didn't play fair.

A sudden noise, the explosion of the space pod, caught everyone's attention, immediately diverting the two Saiyans and the Namekian's attention towards the source.

"LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE! " Gohan screamed in rage.

Raditz looked on at Gohan in shock, his mouth slightly agape as his nephew stared at him in pure anger along with murderous intent. He quickly checked his scouter, trying to find an answer as to how much Gohan's power level was stated to be. His power level ...it was so high, Raditz thought to himself when the scouter finally gave a reading. Something must be wrong with this thing, Raditz concluded afterwards, refusing to believe that Gohan's power level was as high as the scouter deemed it to be.

"How did you break out - "

Raditz words was cut off as soon as Gohan head butted him in the chest, cracking his armor in the process due to such unbelievable force, leaving Raditz wounded. Whether or not it was serious or not, he didn't have time to ponder on it.

"You little brat!" he growled in anger as he kicked him, knocking him out effectively and resulting him landing on the ground with a _thud_.

If his power was that high when his emotions went haywire. Then he needed to eliminate him for good.

Just as he was about to attack Gohan, he felt someone behind him. He turned his head to face the person that was behind him only to see the one person he'd nearly stomped to death. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Kakarot?"

Goku grabbed Raditz, ignoring his brother's question as he tightened his hold on him, this time having him in the full Nelson. He wasn't going to let go. Not this time. He wouldn't be tricked again! He wouldn't be fooled twice! "Piccolo, are you ready?!"

"Give me another minute! "

"You shouldn't have turned your back on us. Soon as you were attacked by Gohan, that left you open and as a result you die."

Raditz eyes widened, "No! Anything but that! I'll change my ways! I promise this time! You have to believe me!" He couldn't die!

"It's ready! " Piccolo informed.

"Piccolo, wait! "

Piccolo ignored Goku and fired the attack, the attack piercing through both, Goku and Raditz.

%%%

"Goku! Hold on, buddy! "

Krillin frantically ran to his best friend's side. "Are you okay? "

"I'll be okay. Tell Bulma to get Gohan for me, will you. "

"Sure thing, buddy. Here, you're just in luck. I happen to have a sensu bean on me. "

"That's good... Do me a favor and hand it to Raditz. "

"What?! Are you insane?!" Krillin inquired in shock.

"Trust me on this."

Krillin nodded, reluctantly walking over to Raditz to put the sensu bean in his mouth.

Raditz sat up, the affects of the sensu bean kicking into action. What the hell? Wasn't he just literally moments away from dying? "What is the meaning of this? Why didn't you let me die?"

"Ask Goku that," Krillin responded bitterly, not being able to look the Saiyan in the face that claimed to be Goku's brother. "That bean should have went to him." He shook his head in disbelief. Goku, he mentally thought, what were you thinking? Now...He shook his head, ceasing his thoughts. He didn't even want to think about it. He refused to think about it, but even so, he just knew that he'd be losing his best friend.

Raditz walked towards Goku and squatted beside him, ignoring the looks everyone else was giving him. "Why, Kakarot?" he questioned, truly curious. He was just going to do the same thing. He was just going to manipulate him again, and then kill him off, along with everyone else on this pathetic excuse of a planet. He had to have known that, right? Or had he really believed him? Guilt and remorse suddenly coursed within him, knowing full well that he didn't to deserve to be alive. Kakarot should be the one peering over him, not the other way around. He just didn't understand - No, he couldn't understand. After everything he has done to him...he was still treating him as if were a companion.

What was to say he wouldn't slaughter everyone off when his brother died? What was to say he wouldn't take Gohan with him in space?

Goku coughed, spitting up blood, diverting Raditz attention from his thoughts, and onto his dying brother. "I don't know." he answered honestly, shocking Raditz. "I really don't know... I even told myself that I wouldn't be... fooled twice. I had even told myself... that I would defeat you at all costs. I was even determined... yet, here I am...lying on the ground." He chuckled lightly, despite the situation. "I knew that you were probably just tricking me again, but I guess I just wanted to believe that there is some good in you, after all. It may not be there now, or it may be there...deep within you somewhere, but I..." Goku fell into a coughing fit, grimacing in pain.

Raditz looked at Goku in stunned silence, soaking in every thing his brother was telling him. He couldn't identify it, but he felt different somehow...he couldn't place it. He'd never been in a position in life where he was...confused? conflicted? Indecisive? Was those the words he was looking for? Was that how he was feeling right now? Everything in his life was just do or die, being under Frieza, those were the only options you had. Raditz gritted his teeth, aggravated with himself. Why the hell should he feel guilty? Why the hell was he feeling conflicted? And why the hell couldn't he think straight? He didn't ask for this. He was a Saiyan. He was a warrior, and he didn't need petty emotions. So what if Kakarott thought that there was some good in him. What the hell was that to him? Why should he care? He growled in frustration. Damn it! What the hell was wrong with him?

Goku smiled, closing his eyes. "The fact that you're so conflicted right now...has to mean that you have some good in you."

Raditz scowled, his eyebrows knitted together. "Kakarot, one last thing..." Raditz started, not sure why he was about to tell Kakarot something like this...but he supposed he deserved to know. "You should probably be informed of the arrival of my other two comrades: Vegeta and Nappa. They're Saiyans like us, and they'll be here in approxiamently two years. They're stronger than I..." He paused, his face suddenly contorting into an expression of aggravation, and frustration, before continuing, "this doesn't mean anything. Don't get any damn ideas because I didn't promise anything."

Goku nodded, coughing up blood as he did so, "Then, please, just promise me one thing..."

Realizing his brother didn't have much time left, he nodded instead of scowling and stating how he wouldn't promise anything, he replied, "What is it?"

"Just promise me...that you won't do anything to harm the inhabitants of Earth or this planet in any way until I come back."

Raditz shot Goku an incredulous look. "How is that even - "

"The dragon balls." he supplied.

"The stories are true, then?"

"I can't hold on much longer, but I'm pretty sure Bulma will inform you of everything. But before I go...I need to know what your answer is. "

Raditz scoffed. "Fine. I promise. " he stated. Just because he promised didn't mean he had to follow through with it. He just agreed because he at least thought he could tell him what he want to hear before he died, he at least owed him that, but like he said, that didn't mean he had follow through with it.

That answer seemed to satisfy Goku, for he exhaled one last time, before dying, his body vanishing moments afterwards.

"This is all you're fault, you know!" Krillin stated angrily."If you wouldn't have came here, then Goku would still be alive!"

Raditz looked at the short man, but said nothing, simply chosing to ignore him. His thoughts were running a mile a minute, and he didn't need the bald midget whining in his ear.

"Give me the kid." Piccolo demanded.

Everyone turned towards Piccolo, including Raditz.

"What do you want with him?" questioned Krillin, whirling around to face him.

"Not that it's any of your concern, but I'm going to train him. "

Raditz stood back up, "I'll come along, also."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, proceeding to say no, but then a thought suddenly came to him. _Keep your friends close - not that he had any friends; he had no need for something such as that - and keep your enemies closer. _Make no mistake, he wasn't planning on keeping an eye on Raditz for the good of the Earth, or for Goku. No, he was simply making sure that Raditz didn't interfere with his plan for world domination. "Fine, just stay out of my way."

He snatched Gohan out of Bulma's hands and flew off.

Raditz growled. He could tell that he wasn't going to like this guy, but he took off behind him any way. In a way, he supposed that this was some sort of second chance, that he could either ignore or take. What that choice was going to be, he didn't know, nor did know why he was so conflicted or why his brothers words were repeatedly playing over and over in his head.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews :)

Dbzlover500: Thanks!

VC18: I'm glad you decided to keep an eye on my story.

Ryo-chan wolf girl: I'm glad you like it, Thanks.

Zarg. The Dragon: Thanks for giving my story a chance anyway!

Panxodakilla: I didn't expect anyone to be impressed the first chapter, but you probably will later on.


	3. The Training begins! Oozaru unleashed!

Disclaimer - I own nothing.

Chapter 3: The Training Begins! Oozaru Unleashed!

* * *

"This spot is adequate enough." Piccolo announced to no one in particular, descending from the skies and on to the ground, Gohan still in his grasp. The small Saiyan was still unconscious, unaware of the events that would be unfolding for him. The small Saiyan wasn't even aware that his father had passed on and was no longer alive, nor was he aware that he was now in the possession of Piccolo.

The area that Piccolo had deemed as adequate enough to train Gohan was pretty spacious, and deserted. It was filled with plentiful, green grass and trees, and it also contained a few cliffs and high-leveled areas. Based on appearance, one could best describe the surroundings Piccolo chose as resembling the air of an plateau, but not too much; for it also resembled the appearance of an secluded forest somewhat.

Raditz landed not too far from Piccolo, his arms crossed as he took in the surroundings of the place and made mental observations. He had to admit that it was a pretty good place to train. But having a good place to train meant nothing, if the instructor you had or if you, yourself, couldn't use the surroundings to your advantage.

The whole flight here with the Namekian had been filled with silence, and to the Raditz, that was just fine with him. He wasn't in the mood for pointless conversations or idle chit-chat. He didn't even have an idea as to why he suddenly offered to tag along with the Namekian, or why the Namekian seemed to have no problem with it. Either the Namekian had a hidden motive, or the Namekian could just care less about what he did. Either way, he had other things to think about other than the Namekian. He had no idea what the hell he was going to do, or why he was thinking about what he was going to do. His brother's words were still swimming around in his head, and he still felt conflicted. It was as if the longer he thought about his brother's words, the more he felt conflicted he became. And it pissed him off how just a small exchange with his younger brother had thrown him into an emotional turmoil such as the one he found himself in.

Vegeta and Nappa would be here in two years, and they had most likely heard the whole conversation. He didn't have the guts to contact them through his scouter due to the fact that he had no idea what they would say. But if he didn't contact them, then they'd probably think he was betraying them or something similar along the lines. And if Vegeta and Nappa had heard, what about Frieza? Had he heard as well?

"I'm going to be honest with you, Raditz." Piccolo stated gruffly, interrupting Raditz thoughts, "I don't necessarily like you, the kid, or your brother. The only reason I'm training the kid is because he appears to have potential and a great amount of power. And as for Goku, that was a one time thing. So don't think for one second that this is out of the goodness of my heart."

Raditz scoffed, "The feeling's mutual, Namekian. And I'm going to be honest with you as well; I don't think you posses the ability to give Gohan the training he needs. He's a Saiyan warrior and he needs to understand his strength and power. "

"You're a fool if you think brute strength is all it takes in battles."

Raditz scowled. _He_ was a fool? He didn't think so. And what right did he have to tell him what it took in battles? Last time he checked, he was stronger than the Namekian, not the other way around. "I'm beginning to get real sick of you."

Piccolo grunted, choosing to ignore what he said before speaking, "Since you think I don't posses the necessary ability to train Gohan, then we'll both train the kid. I'll train him the first year, and you can get him the second year."

"Fine. I won't be too far from here, I'll be training as well." And, _I need to clear my damn head._

(Scene Change)

"What?! Why me?! Why do I have to tell her?"

Bulma, Krillin, and Master Roshi were now back at Kame Island, not sure how to handle the fact that Piccolo had taken off with Gohan, as well as that fact that Goku's brother, Raditz, had followed after him. They had been discussing it the whole trip back, and Bulma being the genius she was, decided that it should be Krillin, and when she voiced her opinion out loud, Krillin had immediately protested, questioning the blue-haired woman as to why it should be him.

Bulma shrugged in response, before answering as if it was the most simplest thing in the world, "You're Goku's best friend. You're the one who should tell his wife what happened to her son and her husband. "

Krilled paled even more at Bulma's answer. He had already lost the color out of his face when she came up with the notion that he should be the one to tell Chi-Chi, but this...this was just ridiculous! "Are you insane?! She'll _kill_ me! Do you not know how strong she is? She isn't Goku's wife for no reason, you know. "

"Don't be such a coward Krillin. "

Krillin groaned. Wasn't him dying once enough? "Why is it always me?"

(Scene Change)

Raditz landed on a cliff and looked around, before sliding into his fighting stance. This was the perfect spot to train. As much as he hated to admit it, he was the weakest of his comrades. Vegeta being the strongest, Nappa coming in second and his self, last. He wasn't sure how Vegeta and Nappa would react when they reunited in the next two years, seeing as how he didn't even attempt to talk to either of them through his scouter yet. They were probably assuming he turned traitor, or something along the lines of that. Perhaps, he could contact them now, and let him know that he'd be joining up when they arrived. It wasn't as if he could head back out into space with his space pod destroyed now. Maybe if he told them that, then they'd understand. But even if he did tell them that, would they _not_ believe him because of what Kakarot had told him before he died? Like he stated previously, he knew they had heard everything that had transpired and that included when he promised Kakarot he wouldn't harm Earth or its inhabitants...Did they take his words seriously?

He closed his eyes and than began to slowly power up. Once he was finished powering up, he charged at his imaginary opponent, throwing punches and kicks from every angle and position he could manage, letting his thoughts continue to drift.

Ever since he was younger, he was always ridiculed by other Saiyans for being weak, not only emotionally weak, but physically weak as well and the worst part was that they were all around his age. He didn't really have anyone and it certainly didn't make it any better that his mother was dead. Granted, he still had his father, but... it was still almost as if everything and everyone was against him, including his own race and as an result he became cold. And then, when the news hit him that his home planet, Planet Vegeta, was destroyed by a meteor while he was away on a mission for Frieza, he didn't know how to feel. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or sad. He didn't gain any form of acceptance from anyone until he met Nappa and Vegeta and he was still weak.

He growled as he performed a perfect round house kick, not sure why his thoughts were heading in that direction. His past had nothing to do with the present...or did it? Of course not, he reassured himself quickly. What was important was the fact that he needed to get stronger. That has always been his only desire, along with wanting to cease Frieza's existence. He wouldn't take being the weakest any longer. Of course, he was the strongest on _this _planet, but how long would that last? That just wasn't enough. He needed to at least be stronger than Vegeta.

And as for what his brother told him earlier...

_"The fact that you're so conflicted right now...has to mean that you have some good in you." _

Was that really true? Did he really have some good in him? Say he kept his promise and didn't harm the inhabitant of this planet until Kakarot came back, then what would happen? Since he told his brother his comrades would be arriving, he was pretty certain he planned on arriving on time for the battle. But what would that mean for him? Would he end up fighting against his brother again and the Namekian, or would he fight along side with Vegeta and Nappa?

Say he was to fight against his comrades, what would that make him? Where would that leave him? What would become of him? If he did fight against his comrades, then there was no going back. That also meant that he wouldn't have to deal with Frieza, and that he'd no longer be under his control. He wouldn't have to purge any more planets just because Frieza wanted him to. He wouldn't have to deal with Frieza's lackey's, which meant no taunting, and not having to put up with them in any way. He'd finally be _free. _After all of those years of the suffering, the humiliation..._everything _while being under Frieza's reign...he could be _free_.

And say he was to destroy everything on this mud ball of a planet, he wouldn't be able to go any where afterwards since his space pod was destroyed, which meant he'd have to wait for his comrades to arrive in two years, or if he waited two years to destroy the planet...then he'd eventually have to fight against his brother and then what? After he killed his brother, hypothetically speaking, then he'd just go back to being under Frieza's control, and everything would go back to the way it was, or he could take Gohan and Kakarot, but that wouldn't change much seeing as everything would still go back to the way it was. Granted, their chances of overthrowing Frieza would increase with two more Saiyans...

But this was probably the only opportunity he'd have to escape Frieza's clutches and be free. This could be his second chance. Would he be a fool to let something such as this slip through his fingers? He knew he wouldn't be able to escape Frieza forever, but if he could just get stronger and get prepared that way he could stand a chance against Frieza, then -

"We're taking a break for a couple of minutes. You can join if you like." A gruff voice suddenly stated, interrupting his train of thought.

Raditz came to an halt, panting heavily, before turning around to face Piccolo. He suppose he could use a break. "Fine. Lead the way."

%%%

Raditz and Piccolo sat across from each other while Gohan sat in between the both of them, eating some of the food that was provided by Piccolo.

"So, does this mean you're a good guy now? I still kinda don't trust you." Gohan suddenly questioned, breaking the silence that had fallen upon them.

Raditz looked at Gohan, uncertain of how to answer his question once he realized that Gohan's question was directed towards him. He thought about responding with a smart remark or anything to mess with the kid, but decided against it since he could see the urgency and slight uneasiness Gohan's eyes held. He didn't even know why he cared. "Look, kid, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told your father: I'm not going to harm the inhabitants of this planet or Earth in any way." Granted, he had promised Kakarot that earlier, but he had every intention of doing what he wanted or chose to do at the time. But now, something about saying that same exact thing to his nephew felt different.

Gohan stared at Raditz for a moment as if to tell whether or not he was telling the truth before speaking, "Okay."

He then finished up his remaining food and then turned to face Raditz again, "So Mr. Piccolo told me that you'd be training me in another year, is that true? "

Raditz fought the urge to roll his eyes, "Yes."

Before Gohan could ask anymore questions, Piccolo spoke up, "Come on Gohan. We need to get back to your training. "

"Oh, Okay," he turned to face his uncle, "See you later."

Raditz nodded and watched as Gohan took off with Piccolo. He then stood up and decided to resume his training as well.

%%%

Later that night ...

Raditz was still at it, sweat pouring down his body as he continued on with his training. The moon was shining and not a sound could be heard except for the variety of calls and sounds from the various animals. The moon had no affect on him since he was able to control whether or whether not he went into his ape form.

Wait. A moon? His head snapped around as he heard a familiar roar erupt. His eyes widened as he instantly caught on. Damn it! He forgot to remind the Namekian about the kid's tail and what could happen if he was exposed to the moon.

Raditz took off immediately, heading for his nephew as fast as he could before things got out of hand. How old was he? Four? Five? There was no way that kid knew how to control or even grasp control of the Oozaru form. And plus, the kid didn't even know he was a Saiyan, so that made matters worse. Luckily, he was stronger than the kid and he knew how to control his self in the Oozaru form. So if he couldn't handle Gohan with the Namekian, then he'd just have to resort to transforming.

He descended just in time to see Piccolo fire a blast at the moon and scowled. What did that idiot think he was doing? This is the perfect opportunity for Gohan to gain control of this form.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Raditz called out in annoyance.

Piccolo ignored Raditz and scowled once he noticed the moon was just artificial and nothing more. That meant he'd just have to destroy the contraption giving off the illusion and if that didn't work, which it should, he'd just have to get close enough to cut off his tail.

Piccolo looked down at Raditz, "Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to be useful? I'm going to destroy whatever it is giving off the illusion of the moon. Meanwhile, you should cut off the kid's tail to be sure this doesn't happen again."

"Are you insane?! No, I will not cut off his tail! A tail is part of what makes us Saiyans, Saiyans! Just destroy whatever it is giving off the illusion and the transformation will wear off and don't worry about the tail! I'll train him on that myself in another year when he's under my wing."

"Fine. Have it your way. Just keep in mind that any danger Gohan may cause due to his tail in the future will fall back on you."

* * *

A/N: Special thanks to my readers and reviewers. If I catch any errors, I'll fix them. And in response to silverhawk88: I think you're right about the haircut thing. I'll make sure to make that happen.

And in response to Nick: Did I include lines from TFS? No, I'm not sure and I most certainly hope I didn't. If I did it was unintentional and if you could, could you tell me which lines are similar to TFS so I can remove it or edit it? Thanks.

Next Update: If not by 11/17/12 then this story will definitely be updated before 12/1/12.


	4. Training with Uncle Raditz

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Ages : Gohan-5, Raditz-28, Bulma-28, Chi-Chi-24, Vegeta-28, Krillin-25,

Title :Training with Uncle Raditz

**One year later...**

A whole year had passed, leaving just one more year until the arrival of the other two Saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa. Raditz had trained alone in that one year, pushing himself past exertion each time he got the opportunity to do so - which was just about everyday and night. On the other hand, Piccolo trained Gohan to the best of his capability and trained the young Saiyan in what and how he saw fit. Piccolo had made certain to strengthen him not only physically, but mentally as well, and had deemed the boy as ready for just about anything that might come his way.

They two had even developed a bond of some sort, and Piccolo had to admit that Gohan was the only who saw him as a friend, instead of a monster or something of the sort. Gohan was the only one who took the time to get to know him, and to Piccolo, that was just something he couldn't ignore even if he did want to ignore other things.

Raditz had picked up a few of the earthly methods and ways used by Piccolo and the Z-fighters like how to sense ki and how to conceal it as well. Of course, Raditz knew that Piccolo wouldn't have taught him if it wasn't for the fact that he told him about his true heritage and who he was. Sometime over the course of the year, Piccolo had questioned the long-haired Saiyan as to why he continued to call him 'Namekian', and Raditz using the fact that he seemingly didn't know about his background, offered to fill him in only if he taught him something useful and how to sense ki, for Raditz had recalled how Goku and Piccolo had came after him without any devices like he contained. It was probably needless to say that Piccolo accepted Raditz's offer.

"Say your goodbyes and we'll begin." Raditz stated, his arms crossed over his chest. Today was the day that he'd take over his nephew's training, and since the Namekian had trained the kid for a whole year, he wouldn't have to waste time teaching him the basics or introducing him to the art of martial arts and teaching him the do's and don'ts and so forth , which basically meant that he could just jump straight into what he had planned for the kid: teaching him the way of the Saiyans.

Gohan nodded and turned to face Piccolo. "Bye, Mr. Piccolo. See you in a year. "

Even though he trained constantly with Piccolo over the course of the year, he had seen very much of his uncle, such as when he and Piccolo took breaks and his uncle joined or when his uncle would stop by occasionally to see how his training was going as well as when Piccolo began teaching his uncle the art of sensing ki and whatnot. When he first heard that his father was dead (from his mentor, of course), and what had occurred and led to his death, he felt a variety of emotions, ranging from sadness to anger and to fear. At first, he couldn't figure out why his father would state that he saw some good in his uncle and tried everything in his power to figure it out, but since this past year, he couldn't help but notice a few, slight changes in his uncle's demeanor. Before, close to when he first began his training, he appeared conflicted and frustrated. He would hardly talk, and when he did he was either sarcastic and rude, or he'd just scoff and say nothing at all, grumbling under his breath before dismissing himself.

No one changes over night, Gohan was very much aware of that, but whether his uncle was aware of it or not, he slowly began to come around as time passed, and he didn't appear so conflicted or frustration any more as well. Now that he was training with his uncle, his training with Piccolo over, he couldn't help but feel excited as to what would come of this; Gohan felt as if he knew what his father was talking about when he mentioned that he'd believe that there was some good in him, for he was beginning to see just what he meant himself. And maybe, he could get to know his uncle a little better. Maybe.

Piccolo nodded, mirroring Gohan. "See you later, kid," he turned to face Raditz and nodded before levitating in the air and sparing Gohan another glance before taking off, heading for his already-set destination, most likely planning on training as well.

"First things first," Raditz started bluntly, cutting to the chase, "your tail need to always be wrapped around your waist, out of everyone and anyone's reach. The reason for that is because your tail can be a weakness. A weakness in which I'll help you rid, like I've rid mine. That's what your training will be based on today. Understood? "

Gohan simply nodded in response.

"Good. Now grab my tail." Raditz ordered.

Gohan did as he was told and grabbed Raditz's tail, before waiting for further instructions.

"Nothing happened, correct?", when Gohan nodded, Raditz continued, "Now, let go and I'll grab yours. I want you to tell me the difference."

"Okay."

No sooner than the words left Gohan's mouth, Raditz uncrossed his arms and quickly grabbed Gohan's tail, causing the young Saiyan to release a groan of pain, instantly falling to his hands and knees.

"I feel ...so weak...and drained."

Raditz let go of his tail, "Point proven. It'll take you some time to recover. After you do, we'll begin."

%%%

Gohan panted heavily as he stood hunched over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Raditz stood not too far from him, his arms crossed over his well-built chest as he watched Gohan. Perhaps, he went a little too hard on the kid, but he had to learn somehow. If the enemy spotted any weaknesses or openings, it'd be over before it even began. In order for his nephew to overcome his weakness due to his tail, he had made the kid fight with him countless times, notifying him that each time he grasped hold of his tail, he lost the fight. That notion worked both ways, and it taught the kid two things at the same time: getting his tail used to being grabbed and curing the weakness, and how to protect his tail from harm various ways.

"Let's take a short break. The river is only a couple of miles away from here." Raditz announced.

Gohan nodded, stood up straight and then followed behind Raditz as he led the way towards the river. A few minutes into their walk, Gohan cleared his throat and began speaking, "Uncle Raditz?" he questioned slightly timidly.

"What, kid?" Raditz replied, not bothering to spare him a glance.

"Well, I was just wondering about something..." Gohan started slowly. He rarely asked his uncle questions, and tried to refrain from doing so until he felt that it was the right time. And what better time to ask a question, than now? He would be training under his uncle now, after all.

Raditz said nothing, instead he waited for him to continue, when he didn't continue, he halted, and turned around to face his nephew, mentally wondering why the hell it was taking him so long to spit out what he had to say. Just when he was about to tell him to spit it out already, Gohan began talking again.

"It's about those two Saiyans," he continued cautiously, "I was just wondering who they are to you."

"They're ex-comrades," he answered bluntly.

"Ex-comrades?," he repeated in a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

_Isn't that what I just said? _"Yes," Raditz answered, despite his thoughts.

"If you don't mind me asking, why? "

Raditz sighed, but continued walking. Why wouldn't they be ex-comrades? He never contacted Vegeta, Nappa, or Frieza over the course of the year, and he even destroyed his scouter. Surely, since he failed to contact them, they'd think that he'd betray them, or that he died. But the latter was completely out of the question, seeing as they most likely heard everything that transpired. He was already aware of what would happen if he didn't at least contact them, but honestly, Raditz could care less. He had an opportunity to be free from Frieza's control, and he took it. He also had the opportunity to get stronger and to prove to anyone that deemed him as weak wrong without any obstacles or hindrances. He was now able to do things his way, and no one would be able to tell him otherwise. He had thought about explaining his reason for why he contacted them to Vegeta and Nappa when they arrived, but with Vegeta's prideful thinking and Nappa's following and doing whatever Vegeta said, neither would agree and Vegeta would probably state something about how cowardly such a thing was and how he was a disgrace to Saiyans. There was no point in explaining something to someone who thought that no one was right but himself, plus even if he did do that, he'd just be returning to being back under Frieza's control and he wasn't having that.

Of course, he had may have indirectly kept his promise to Kakarot, but he didn't care - as far as he was concerned, he had far more important matters to deal with than killing the weaklings of this planet...But why didn't he feel convinced with that answer? Raditz scoffed, deciding to cease his thoughts. "Long story short, when they arrive, they'll want me dead."

"But-"

"The river's in sight," interrupted Raditz before continuing, "Let's hurry so we can get back to your training."

"Right."

%%%

**-**_The next morning-_

"Wake up, kid."

Last night, after they ate the fish they caught from the river, Raditz trained Gohan a little more, before they both decided to take shelter. Afterwards, Raditz then instructed Gohan to go to sleep, guaranteeing that tomorrow's training session would be tougher. Now that it was morning time, and Raditz deemed that Gohan had received enough sleep, he was trying to wake him up to begin their training, only to fail at the first two attempts.

Raditz released an irritated sigh as Gohan turned over on his side, his back facing him. This was the second time he tried to wake him up and all he did was either shift to make himself more comfortable or not respond at all. "Kid, wake up already." he called out again, the irritation he was feeling at the moment evident in his voice.

"..."

He received no response again and he decided to try another, more effective way, besides time was everything and he had a lot to teach him, such as how to control the Oozaru form. With that said, Raditz roughly grabbed him by the tail, hauling him up, almost getting an immediate reaction out of him.

Gohan eyes shot open the instant Raditz lifted him up. He let out a pained groan as he bit his bottom lip, in an effort to hold back the yelp that threatened to surface.

"I see you're finally awake." Raditz stated with a smirk.

Gohan swallowed before nodding, willing himself to forget about the pain. Though, his uncle had trained him on the weakness concerning his tail yesterday, they still had to work on it in order to rid the weakness completely. A day of training on that particular matter wouldn't rid it; it'd take a little more time than just a day.

"Good. We'll continue where we left off yesterday, but before we do that we'll have to find something to eat. Let's go."

Raditz placed Gohan down and led the way towards the river, not giving him a chance to respond.

Gohan caught on instantly and ran behind him. "So, what are we doing today?"

Raditz scowled and shot him a irritated look. What the hell? Didn't he just tell him what they were doing today? "I'm going to continue training you with the weakness of your tail. Then later on, we'll start your Oozaru training."

"Oozaru training?"

Raditz looked even more irritated at that question, halting to turn around and face him. "Don't tell me you forgot what I told you about our heritage already."

Gohan quickly shook his head. "No, of course not. It's just...don't you think I'm too young?"

Raditz scoffed. Too young? There was no such thing as 'too young' for Saiyans. "I was already doing purging missions at your age."

Gohan scratched the back of his head uncomfortably, opting to stay quiet, as he continued to trail his uncle once Raditz begun moving again.

"Kid."

Gohan looked up. "Huh?"

"Your father mated a human, who is she?"

"Mated? You mean like marry? Her name's Chi-Chi. She's my mom."

Raditz decided to ignore Gohan's question and ask one of his own instead. "Is she the human with blue hair?"

"No sir, that's Ms. Bulma."

"And the bald midget?"

Gohan blinked, slowly registering his words. Bald...midget? "You mean, Krillin?"

"That's what I'm asking you."

"Oh, yes sir, the short one was Krillin."

Raditz nodded. "That's enough questions for now. We're here. I'll catch the fish and you start the fire this time."

* * *

A/N: Okay, first things first, special thanks to all of my readers and reviewers... I honestly didn't think It'd take me this long to get this chapter out, but I've been going through some serious writer's block with this story and hopefully it won't be this long again. Make sure to tell me what you think, I probably covered Raditz reasoning's and change and whatnot, but if you have any questions or concerns let me know. If you are curious as to why Raditz is even training Gohan in the first place, then I assure you I have an answer for that, which you'll see soon enough.


	5. Goku's race to earth The Saiyans Arrive

Disclaimer - I own nothing.

Chapter 5: Goku's race to earth; Arrival of the Saiyans

* * *

*8 months later*

"This is my last day training you, Goku. You did well in everything I taught you..." King Kai trailed off before muttering under his breath shortly after, "even though you still can't tell a decent joke." Granted, the spiky-hair warrior told a few good ones, but Goku just couldn't seem to match the few good ones he told him when he first began training him.

Goku simply grinned in response, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he stood in front of King Kai. It just wasn't his fault, and plus, he tried. Honestly, he did. Telling jokes just happened to not be his thing. Now fighting and eating, _those_ were things he was good at.

King Kai continued, deciding to mourn Goku's lack of humor later. "Now, let's see how much you improved."

Goku nodded once more and turned around, his back now facing King Kai as he patiently awaited the signal to begin, for he was eager to see just how much he had improved from training under King Kai.

Without wasting another moment, King Kai pulled out a small stopwatch, his thumb already hovering over the small button it contained, "Alright, Bubbles." he called out, "You're up."

A monkey, almost half the size of King Kai, or more, walked past Goku, now standing in front of him, preparing to take off the minute the signal was given. Last time King Kai told Goku to catch Bubbles, it took him quite a while due to the fact that the gravity that Goku was use to wasn't the same as it was on his planet. But now that they were reviewing everything Goku was taught, King Kai expected much better results.

"Ready, set, go!" King Kai suddenly called out, immediately sending Bubbles and Goku into action.

King Kai immediately started the stop watch and watched as Bubbles got caught in less than half a second, surprise and awe etched onto his features. _'Wow! He caught Bubbles in less than half a second?! Impressive.'_

King Kai quickly reset the stopwatch, eager to see just how fast Goku would be able to catch Gregory, for it had took Goku a while to first catch Gregory as well. "Okay, Gregory. You're up." he announced.

Gregory, a small, bright green cricket flew towards Goku and awaited for further instructions. Bubbles then, approached Goku with a mallet in hand, before handing it over. Once Goku took the mallet, Bubbles went back to his respective spot, standing by King Kai.

"Ready, Goku?" King Kai inquired, his thumb hovering over the button belonging to his stopwatch once more.

The spiky-haired Saiyan gave a short nod in response before sliding into his running stance, already prepared to hear the words that would make his second test start.

"Go!"

Gregory instantly took off at top speed, Goku running behind him. No sooner than King Kai gave the okay, Goku wasted little time, suddenly phasing in front of the green cricket, before gently tapping Gregory on the head with the mallet.

King Kai looked at the time on his stopwatch, amazed yet another time. _'Less than half a second again?'_ Well, he thought himself, he supposed he expected no less from him. "You've done well, Goku. Now, let's test the spirit bomb."

%%%

Shortly after the spirit bomb was tested, King Kai informed Goku to only use it when necessary, warning him the Earth could be destroyed if it wasn't used properly. After Goku agreed, King Kai then decided to change Goku's clothes, giving him his symbol on the back, while still keeping Master Roshi's symbol on the front.

"Oh, wow, I feel so light!" Goku commented, impressed.

King Kai nodded in agreement, "Yep, but this one is slightly stronger than your other one. Oh, and by the way, my symbol is on your back."

Goku turned his head slightly in order to catch a glimpse of King Kai's symbol on his back, his eyes brightening up the instant he saw it. "Great. I'll wear it with pride."

Just as he was about to respond, King Kai's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, no! I forgot to calculate how long it'll take you to get back!"

"What?!" Goku exclaimed in shock, "It took me a year to get here!"

"Calm down, Goku. You're much faster and stronger now. Now, put your hand on my back and talk with your mind. You have to tell the others to wish you back."

(Scene Change)

"Gohan!" Raditz barked, "Get up and try again!" Raditz and Gohan were sparring once more; however, unlike their other and previous spars, Raditz wasn't holding back. No, not this time. He refused to. So far, Gohan hadn't been able to land a hit on him, and though he could admit that Gohan came close more than a few times...'close' just wasn't enough. Raditz watched as Gohan shakily stood up and then lunged at him.

Raditz smirked, easily dodging all of Gohan's attacks. "Can't you land at least one punch?" he taunted, smirk still in place. Due to experience and training him for sometime personally, Raditz knew that if you made Gohan angry, he was able to tap into a stronger, much deeper power coursing within him.

Gohan growled and charged at his uncle with new found determination. He cocked his fist back, preparing to strike him in the face, only to throw a hard kick at him at the last minute, catching Raditz completely off guard.

Raditz grunted as the kick connected with his side. "Well done, kid. You've improved greatly."

Just when Gohan was about to speak, dark clouds filled the sky, giving the sky an almost black color, which was highly unusual seeing as the atmosphere of the sky had been a light blue color merely seconds ago. It hadn't given any impression of undergoing a storm all day, and now suddenly it just wanted to turn pitch black? The clouds that had been loitered across the sky appeared to no longer be in view, and the wind that had been calmly releasing weak gusts of winds every so often was seemingly non-existent.

"A storm this early?" Gohan inquired curiously.

"No, kid. This is no storm." This was the work of something else.

Gohan looked up at Raditz, even more curious than before. "It's not? Then, what is it?"

_'I'm not certain, but this was probably the result of the dragon balls Kakarot had told him about. Which means, that Nappa and Vegeta are near and arriving faster than anyone expected,' he thought._

"Im pretty sure we'll find out," he finally answered.

(Scene Change)

"Nappa, you fool, I should have known not to let you do anything."

"What? Vegeta, what's wrong?" Nappa questioned in confusion, not sure as to what he did wrong. He was just trying to have a little fun. That was all.

Both Vegeta - a short, human-looking alien that contained gravity-defying hair - and Nappa - a bald, muscular, bulky human-looking alien - were hovering in the air looking down at the now destroyed city beneath them, courtesy of Nappa, of course.

"Tell me one thing, what if you happened to destroy one of the dragon balls we're searching for?"

Nappa eyes slightly widened in realization, immediately catching Vegeta's drift. "Oh, you're right. Sorry about that, Vegeta."

"Hmph, " replied Vegeta with his arms crossed, " It's too late for apologies. Let's find the highest power levels and get started."

"Right," Nappa pressed a button on his scouter, as did Vegeta, as he searched for the highest power level.

"This can't be right. They're several readings for the highest power level, but even so, none of them are on our level."

Vegeta chuckled, not ignorant enough to not be aware that some contained the ability to suppress their ki. "Nappa. Take off your scouter. They know how to supress their ki."

Nappa obeyed, taking off his scouter.

"Let's head for the one's straight ahead."

(Scene Change)

Raditz head shot up towards the sky as felt the surge of two familiar power levels heading he and Gohan's way. _'Damn. It's time_,' he stated mentally. There was no way to escape what was to come, seeing as he already made his decision, which he had already knew Vegeta and Nappa wouldn't approve of, but that was fine. And quite frankly, he didn't care what they thought about his decision. He shook away the speck of fear, threatening to overcome him and hardened his eyes, refusing to display any weakness to Vegeta of all people.

Now was not the to be scared. That was all he was seen to be when he was younger. A scaredy cat. A coward. Now it was time to prove just how strong he was, and now that he had his own life in _his_ hands, he'd do just that. Like he stated before, this was his second chance, and he wouldn't waste it by simply going back to how his life had been before he came to Earth. He'd be a fool to let a opportunity such as the one he was presented with go down the drain. If Kakarot wanted to think that he kept his promise to him, then so be it, and if Vegeta and Nappa felt as if he betrayed them, then so be it as well. He had his own reasons for what he did and his decisions. And he didn't feel the damn need to explain himself to anyone.

He looked down at his nephew, before putting his hand on his head, causing the latter to tilt his head up towards him. "I don't want to see a trace of fear in you, you hear me? This is not one of training sessions where you're up against Piccolo or myself. This is real. This is a battle and the enemy will have no mercy. Now it's time for you to put your training to use."

Gohan nodded in understanding, "I won't let you down, Uncle Raditz."

"You better not, kid."

"I got here as fast I could when I felt their power levels." Piccolo announced, descending a mile or two away from Raditz and Gohan, before walking towards them. Once he reached the two, Piccolo gave a short nod in the direction of Raditz as a silent greeting and Raditz mirrored his actions, doing the same.

Gohan ran over to Piccolo, now standing directly in front of him. "Hey, Mr. Piccolo."

"Kid," he greeted, "I assume your training went well."

Just as Gohan was about to respond, Raditz interrupted, "Now is not the time for a conversation or greetings, they're here."

Both Gohan and Piccolo looked up to see that the Saiyans were indeed here, and that both of said Saiyans were hovering in the air, smirking down at them.

"Well, well, well, look who's upon them Nappa, "Vegeta began, his eyes locked onto one person in particular. "It's the weakling, Raditz."

Raditz gritted his teeth at the two Saiyans and former comrades. It appeared as if he guessed correctly. They thought that he betrayed them, that much was at least obvious, seeing as how they were treating him.

"And don't forget "traitor", Vegeta. You left that out, " Nappa added on as he destroyed two out of three helicopters.

"I suppose you're right," agreed Vegeta as he cackled and descended onto the ground, his smirk still evident.

"Oh, and look Nappa, they have an Namekian among them. too."

Piccolo growled, "I'm only going to say this once; Leave this planet right now."

Vegeta snorted. As if he'd take orders from anyone weaker than him, or anyone at all for that matter. "Nappa, grow the remaining Saibamen. There's no need to get our hands dirty. "

"You got it, Vegeta," Nappa replied as he pulled out a small container. He then took out six, small, green balls and planted them, before pouring a thick, green-like substance over them.

Shortly after, six green, red-eyed aliens appeared.

"Three against six. How entertaining," Vegeta turned to face the aliens, "Saibamen, make sure you hold nothing back."

The Saibamen nodded and prepared to launch, each looking more than thrilled to go against their opponents.

"Piccolo, Gohan. You two take on the Saibamen. I'll go after Nappa." Raditz stated. Nappa wasn't as strong as Vegeta, so maybe if he went up against Nappa, and got rid of him, things would be a little easier.

Piccolo and Gohan nodded before standing back to back to fight the Saibamen.

Raditz strode towards Nappa and Vegeta before sliding into his fighting stance, once he felt like he was close enough.

"Look Nappa, it appears the weakling wants to fight us."

Raditz growled, fighting the urge to strike both of them. He needed to stay calm, he couldn't let their petty insults get to his head. It was obvious they still thought he was the same weakling he used to be, but thanks to his near-death experience and his training, he had to be on par with Nappa, or a least stronger than him, right?

Before things could get started, "Nappa, it looks like we have more company."

All three saiyans turned their heads to see four more fighters descend on to the ground.

"Raditz, what do you say we make this a little more interesting?"

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A/N: Special thanks to my readers and reviewers. Oh, and also, I know it may be obvious that I'm following cannon, but things will get even more different. That's for sure. Oh and if you're already ready for some R/18 action Shookones has out a fic called, "Fresh Start"


	6. Raditz vs Vegeta

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

A/N: I wanted to make this chapter a little longer, but I figured I needed to hurry and get something posted. Anyway, I'm not sure Raditz power level is accurate right now, mainly due to his near-death experience. I'm not sure how much a Saiyan's power level increases after he faces a near-death experience. If anyone knows, feel free to PM me about it or leave in your review. I will continue to research about it. Also, from this point on, I'll be letting you know the dates of when to expect my updates. Please, proceed.

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"Raditz, what do you say we make this a little more interesting?"

"Sorry to disappoint you Vegeta, but I'm not interested."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading a bit from being addressed as just Vegeta. Raditz was usually more respectful towards him, but it wasn't like it mattered. Raditz was a traitor now anyway.

"So tell me Raditz, do you honestly think you stand a chance against us? You're power level is pathetic and if you can't handle Nappa then you definitely have no chance of handling me. It's not like you have a chance of beating me anyway. You were always the weaker one out of the three of us. Though maybe these almost two years could have been good to you."

Raditz growled, mentally urging his self to stay calm.

"We're just going to have to find out now, won't we?"

Before Vegeta could respond, Raditz powered up slightly before charging at Nappa, knocking Nappa back with a punch to the face. Nappa stumbled back slightly as he tried to regain his footing, but before he could regain his footing completely, Raditz leg sweeped him, which resulted in Nappa landing flat on back. Nappa shot up angrily before Raditz could do anything else, "Why you traitor! Fine. You want to play dirty?! I won't hold back."

Just as he was about to deliver a punch to Raditz. Raditz delivered another punch instead, this one quicker than the first one. Raditz then threw a kick to his ex-comrades side, causing him to grunt in response.

"Were you still holding back? I don't believe I could tell, " he taunted as he delivered several punches to Nappa's stomach.

Nappa growled as he clutched his stomach before lunging for Raditz, "Raditz, I'm going to kill you!"

Raditz smirked as he dodged several of Nappa's punches, "I doubt you could manage that."

"You piece of-"

"Nappa, you idiot, control your emotions!"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

Vegeta smirked, "I'm sure you did, Nappa."

Nappa ignored Vegeta's comment and turned his attention back to Raditz,

"Things are going to go differently from here on out, you hear?!"

"I'm so scared," Raditz replied, sarcasm clear in his voice.

Nappa exhaled a breath of air as he slid into his fighting stance, refusing to be victim to his emotions again. He charged at Raditz, preparing to land a kick, but Raditz brought his arm up, blocking it with ease at the last faltered slightly when he heard an explosion where Piccolo and Gohan were fighting.

Nappa smirked as he saw an opening and then decided to use it to his advantage, adding more force behind his kick. Raditz felt the immediate change in force and then slammed his left elbow into Nappa's leg, a loud crack emitted almost instantly.

Nappa let out a pained scream as he fell backwards, gripping his broken leg.

"You're going to pay for this! You wait until I get back up!"

Nappa managed to push himself up by levitating off the ground. Once he was standing upright, still levitating in the air, he began to form two ki blasts in his palms.

"Nappa!"

Nappa turned his attention to Vegeta, "What is it, Vegeta?"

"You handle the others. Keep the Namekian alive. I'll take care of Raditz. He's getting a little too cocky for my liking. "

Nappa frowned, "Ah man, but Vegeta-"

"That's an order, Nappa. And besides, Raditz won't even get the chance to land a hit on me. "

"Okay, Vegeta, if you say so."

Nappa then turned his head towards Raditz. A sadistic smirk forming across his features, "Well, it was nice knowing you. You're dead meat now."

Raditz smirked, ignoring the slight fear he felt rising within him.

"It looks like it's just me and you now."

Vegeta uncrossed his arms, as he began to stride towards Raditz, "Give up the tough guy act, you already know you're dead."

Raditz snorted. "We'll see."

But deep down, Raditz knew that he was indeed, dead. He only had a power level of 4,200 while Vegeta had a power level of 18,000. And in his Oozaru form he only had a power level of 42,000 and even so, Vegeta's power level would surpass way beyond his in Oozaru form. _'Kakarot, you better be on your on way,' _thought Raditz mentally as he slipped into his fighting stance. He already knew he had no chance of beating Vegeta, but he didn't have a choice and he wasn't walking away. He wouldn't give Vegeta that satisfaction. If he learned anything, it was that you couldn't keep running and that the only way to get rid of fear, was to face it dead on.

"Oh? You've gone silent now, have you?"

Raditz smirked, "Why? Does it bother you? You like hearing my voice that much?"

Vegeta snorted, "Enough talk. I'm tired of hearing you ramble."

Raditz turned his head in the direction of where Gohan and Piccolo were again after he heard the screams erupt from what sounded like Piccolo. He mentally cursed when he felt Piccolo's life force fading. Come to think of it, he couldn't feel the others life force either. All he could feel was Gohan and the midget. 'Crap. I have to think of something. Gohan won't be able to hold his own against Nappa for too long. I have to-'

Raditz thoughts were cut off when a hard punch connected to his face, sending him flying backwards, into a far away cliff. Raditz let out a groan as he tried to recover quickly, but before he had the opportunity to do anything, he felt multiple fist's being slammed into his gut. Vegeta cackled sadistically with each punch he landed on the long-haired Saiyan. Raditz coughed up blood each time and grimaced as Vegeta dealt another blow to his gut. Raditz went spiraling down to the ground and landed with a hard 'thud', once Vegeta moved back a little.

Vegeta smirked, "Not so cocky, now are you?"

When he didn't get a response, his smirk widened even more. He then, formed a blue orb into his left palm and held it in front of Raditz, preparing to release it.

A deep scream cut him off, causing the blue orb to dissipate. He turned his head towards Nappa, only to see his comrade being sliced in half by a flat, yellow disk. _'Fool. He deserved to die if he was killed by a cheap, petty attack like that,' _Vegeta thought mentally.

Vegeta formed the orb he had back in his hand and turned to face Raditz, only to see that he was gone. 'What? Where'd he go?'

Raditz slammed his knee into the back of Vegeta's head, causing Vegeta's head to jerk forward. He then phased in front of him, driving his knee into his gut while Vegeta was still dazed. Raditz then phased in behind him, prepared to deliver another hard blow only to have it blocked.

Vegeta smirked evilly, "It appears to be my turn now."

Raditz gritted his teeth, as he mentally began thinking for at least one way to beat the Saiyan in front of him. He knew for a fact that Vegeta exceeded him in strength. But what about speed? He just might have a chance if he kept cornering him, but even _that_ wouldn't last long. He mentally cursed, the year and eight months he spent training gave him a major boost along with his near-death experience, but it still wasn't enough to beat Vegeta. His only hope was to stall Vegeta as long as could until his brother arrived. But, was _that_ even possible? Guess he wouldn't know until he tried.

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A/N: Did anyone expect Nappa to die like that?

Next Update: hopefully before 1/26/12


	7. Goku Arrives

*Disclaimer: I own nothing.*

A/N: True to my word, I have updated. Also, thanks for the reviews and feedback. Anyway, someone has offered to do power levels for me, which I am very grateful for. If he gets the chance to do so, I will be sure to give him credit. **Also, I have a question for you guys, do you think that I could pull off a story like this with power levels or not?** Power levels are such a drag, and though they better the story in a way, I've read many stories where the power level wasn't mentioned and the story still turned out great. I just want to update this story as much as I possibly can before I start college in August.

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_'Here goes nothing,' _thought Raditz as flew backwards a little to put some space between he and Vegeta. He then powered up as much as he possibly could, a powerful battle cry emitting as he did so. The very ground he was standing on, began to rise and crumble as he pushed himself to rise his power level as much as he possibly could. It was either all or nothing. He somewhat held his own against Nappa, but unfortunately he couldn't say that he could hold his own against Vegeta. He didn't know when his brother would arrive, but he hope he did soon. He couldn't last against Vegeta forever. And if Vegeta happened to kill him, he'd probably go after his nephew and who knows what he'd do after that?

Vegeta watched in amusement with his arms folded across his well-built chest. _'This fool actually thinks he stands a chance? Ha! How amusing!' _Vegeta watched as Raditz stopped powering up, and then slid into his fighting stance, a smirk evident on his face, "Is the show finally over now?"

Raditz said nothing, but slid into his fighting stance as well. He looked over to his right, where Krillin and his nephew were supposed to be only to find them passed out_. 'The battle with Nappa probably wore them out,' _he thought. He then looked back in front of him only to find Vegeta grinning at him sadistically.

Raditz released yet another battle cry before charging at Vegeta with his fist cocked back. As soon as he was within arms reach, he swung his fist, nearly colliding with Vegeta's face. Vegeta smirked and quickly grabbed Raditz's arm before he could retract it back, and pulled him closer towards him as he drove his knee into his opponent's gut several times. Raditz let out a couple of grunts from each impact, but quickly pushed the pain away before slamming his elbow into Vegeta's chest. Vegeta stumbled back slightly, but quickly regained his footing and delivered two hard kicks into the side of Raditz. Just as Vegeta was about to deliver another kick to Raditz side, Raditz caught Vegeta's leg and brought his knee up and his elbow down, slamming both of his limbs into Vegeta's leg. Vegeta let out a yell and quickly flung his other leg up, and slammed it into Raditz's head, resulting in Raditz releasing his leg. Vegeta stumbled back and growled as he clutched his leg. Another second of that, and that could have possibly done some damage.

Vegeta charged at Raditz, ignoring the pain in his right leg, and sent multiple punches at Raditz. Raditz dogded Vegeta's onslaught as best as he could; however, most of Vegeta's punches made contact with him. Raditz managed to put some distance between them and phased in behind Vegeta, but Vegeta flipped over him and delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of his head, causing Raditz to fall forward. Just before Raditz hit the ground, he turned himself over, landing on his back, and then propelled his body upwards using his feet and fired several ki blasts towards Vegeta. Vegeta smirked as he batted the ki blasts away and sent one of his own towards the long-haired Saiyan. Raditz then fell backwards and Vegeta strode towards him, a mixture of arrogance and amusement in his eyes. He kicked the Saiyan over on his back and then stepped on his back, digging his boot into Raditz back, causing him to scream in agony.

"Did you honestly think you had a chance of defeating me?"

Raditz scoffed, ignoring the blood he felt rising up his throat, "Someone needs to teach you a thing or two."

Vegeta threw his head back, roaring with laughter, "Unbelievable! And this someone is _you_?! Ha!"

Raditz smirked, "You won't be laughing for long. If I can't finish the job, Kakarot will."

Vegeta snorted as he raised his gloved hand, a blue orb forming, "By the time Kakarot arrives, you'll be dead, but don't worry, I'll be sure to blast him into oblivion just like you."

Raditz gritted his teeth as a feeling of helplessness washed over him. Throughout his entire life, he has been classified as cowardly, and weak. He had a pathetic power level and was nothing but a laughing stock to other Saiyans. And now, his power level has more than doubled since he arrived on earth, and for the first time in his life, he was finally beginning to make progress. He couldn't die like this. No, that was unacceptable. He had a goal, and not only that, he finally had a chance to become strong and prove everyone wrong that ever doubted him. He wouldn't let this opportunity go down the drain, not after finally making progress.

Raditz jerked to the side and did a backwards somersault, landing on the palms of his hands. He quickly rotated his body before kicking both feet into the air, kicking Vegeta in the chin in the process. Raditz then leg sweeped him, taking advantage of his dazed opponent. Before Vegeta could fall on the ground, Raditz placed his right hand on Vegeta's chest and fired a blast of his own, "Begone!"

Vegeta growled angrily at the contact and flipped his feet upwards, kicking Raditz in the gut. Raditz stumbled back and Vegeta smirked before quickly standing up and delivering a hard punch to Raditz's face. Vegeta quickly moved behind him, and trapped him in the headlock with one arm while gathering energy in the hand that belonged to the opposite arm, "It's time to end you."

Raditz mentally cursed at the position he was in. Vegeta was getting ready to fulfill his threat, and he could do nothing about it. He closed his eyes as he released a defeated sigh. Vegeta noticed Raditz sudden change in demeanor and smirked, "Oh? I see you're accepting your fate. Before I end your pathetic life, tell me one thing, just what did you think you'd accomplish?"

Raditz uttered a low growl before he suddenly smirked, "It's not like you're capable of understanding such a thing."

Vegeta gritted his teeth as he tightened his arm around Raditz neck, "I say our conversation is over. NOW DIE!"

Raditz closed his eyes again, awaiting patiently for the blue orb Vegeta had in front of him to make contact with him, but a few seconds passed and he felt nothing… Had it happened already? Had it really happened that quick? Wasn't his life suppose to flash before his eyes? Wasn't that what happened when someone came face to face with death? His face contorted into a look of confusion, before he slowly opened his eyes, only to see….Kakarot?

He blinked several times, not believing what he was seeing.

Goku walked towards Vegeta, who still had Raditz in the headlock, with nothing but sheer determination shinning in his eyes. Vegeta didn't seem fazed by the arrival of the other Saiyan and was first to speak, "It appears that Raditz wasn't lying after all. I guess I just have more garbage to take care of."

"Let him go. Your fight is with me now."

Vegeta guffawed, "Unbelievable! I suppose you think you stand a chance against me as well?"

Goku didn't answer his question, instead he looked at Raditz, "I only feel Gohan's and Krillin's ki. Everyone else is dead?"

Raditz took as deep a breath he could muster, and spoke as best as he could; Vegeta's grip hadn't loosened, and he could feel his conscious fading "Yes."

Goku nodded and turned to walk in the direction of where his only son and Krillin laid, Vegeta's eyes following him the whole time. Vegeta watched from afar, as Goku fed something into the mouths of Krillin and Gohan. Shortly after, the two were back on their feet. He released a short growl at the scene he just witnessed, and released his grip on the now unconscious Raditz, no longer concerned with him. Raditz fell to the ground with a 'thud', now completely unaware of what was happening.

###

Goku shook his head, but said nothing as he took in all the information Krillin and Gohan just told him. He looked in the direction of Vegeta, clenching his fists, "I'll take care of things now. You two fought well, and so did Raditz. This battle is mine now."

Krillin raised an eyebrow, "Goku, no way. Let Gohan and I help you. Let's take this guy down together."

"No, trust me on this. I want you two to leave and take Raditz with you."

"Dad, what about you?"

"Don't worry about me, just leave and take Raditz with you."

Goku didn't give Krillin, nor Gohan another chance to protest for he was already walking in the direction of the Saiyan.

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**Next Update**: _Hopefully_ before OR on 2/9/13

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A/N: If you're worried about Raditz being unconscious, don't be. I have something in store for the next chapter. :)


	8. Goku vs Vegeta Part I

*Disclaimer-I own nothing.*

**Credit for any power levels automatically goes to Super Vegetarott **

"So this is where you'd like to die?" Vegeta looked around, mentally observing his surroundings as he descended upon a nearby cliff. "I must say, it's a perfect spot for your grave...that is if there's any of you left." Vegeta smirked when the Saiyan didn't respond, thoroughly amused with the Saiyan's behavior.

Goku stared at his opponent in silence as he descended as well. He slid into his fighting stance, mirroring Vegeta's actions once he landed, the bottom of his boots touching the ground. His fists were clenched tightly, his thoughts drifting upon his now deceased friends. His face suddenly turned into one of anger, the calmness that was evident on his features suddenly gone. "I can't forgive you for what you've done."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow in amusement, "Oh? Obviously you recieved the wrong impression from me because quite frankly, I don't care."

Without another word, the two lunged at each other in the blink of an eye, both of the Saiyans with their fists cocked back. As soon as their fists connected, a loud sound from the impact was made; though neither of the Saiyans faltered, not even a little, for both Saiyans held a look of determination, though a cloud of amusement along with arrogance could be detected in the gravity hair-defying Saiyan's eyes.

The shorter Saiyan smirked as he dodged a punch from Goku and quickly countered with a punch of his own. Goku managed to dodge Vegeta's punch and then attempted to deliver a knee to Vegeta's gut, but Vegeta flipped frontwards over Goku, already seeing his attack coming. Vegeta then balled up both of his fists, before intertwining his fingers together and driving his balled/intertwined fist into the back of Goku's head. Goku released a pained groan, but quickly pushed it away, before spinning around, now face to face with his opponent, just in time to block a kick. Goku quickly grabbed onto Vegeta's leg, before swinging him around several times and letting him go.

Vegeta scowled, staring down at the spiky-haired Saiyan as he managed to stop himself mid-flight. Wasting little time, he charged at Goku again,throwing multiple punches. Goku blocked as much of Vegeta's punches as he could though more then several managed to catch him, resulting in him emitting a few grunts.

"You're just as pathetic as your weakling brother,"sneered Vegeta as he cocked his fist back and slammed it into Goku's face.

Goku's head flew back from the contact of Vegeta's fist, and before he could retaliate or regain his composure for that matter, Vegeta slammed his fist into Goku's gut, causing the spiky-haired Saiyan to spit out blood.

Vegeta smirked tauntingly at the Saiyan infront of him, before cocking his fist back again, and delivering another fist into Goku's gut.

(Scene Change)

"I don't feel comfortable leaving Goku behind."

Gohan turned his head to the side to look at Krillin, one of his arms sticking out in front of him, his fist balled, as the other arm carried a still unconscious Raditz. The two had no idea where they were going, but they didn't feel the need to figure it out for neither one of them planned on going too far. "I know what you mean, but Dad said to-"

Krillin shook his head. "I know what he said, but still."

Gohan nodded in agreement, "I know what you mean, but we have no choice but to trust dad, even if we don't agree."

Krillin released a sigh, but voiced nothing, knowing full well that Gohan was right.

(Scene Change)

"What's this? It appears that the Saiyan Raditz talked so highly about has no more fight left in him." Vegeta stated as he swatted away a punch.

Goku panted, as he delivered another punch, which Vegeta blocked easily. They haven't been fighting for more than an hour, only about half an hour, and he was beginning to grow tired. He couldn't keep this up much longer. It was obvious he wouldn't last much longer. Not unless he used Kaioken. He tried to stray from using that unless he had to, wanting to be able to use it only if he absolutely had to. And even if he did use Kaioken, he'd only be able to use it for a short amount time, so that meant that every second counted.

He was brought out of his trance when a fist connected with his cheek, causing him to stumble backwards. Deciding that it was now or never, Goku quickly regained his composure and jumped back, before stretching his arms out, and slowly easing them back as he put them in position for his signature attack.

"KAIOKEN!"  
A red aurora suddenly began to cloak his body, his muscles expanding, increasing in size. Wasting little time, a powerful, blue orb began to form in his palms. "KAAAA-MEEE-HAAA-MEEEE-HA!"

Vegeta scowled, and immediately got in position to retaliate. "GALICK GUN!" A burst of purple energy burst forth from Vegeta's hands, clashing almost instantly with Goku's Kamehameha wave. Not even minutes later, soon as the two blast's made contact, a test of strength immediately fell into place, the two Saiyans pushing with as much strength as they could muster up, both Saiyan's determined to emerge successful.

'Oh, no!,' Goku screamed mentally, as he felt himself being pushed back almost instantly. Vegeta's attack was overpowering his. 'Kaioken wasn't enough!' "KAIOKENx2!" he screamed as he felt his muscles expanding even more.

The Saiyan pushing the purple, powerful wave smirked. 'If that fool thinks he can get the best of me with an attack such as this, then he's even stupider than his weakling of a brother.' Vegeta let out a roar as he put more force behind his Galick Gun.

Goku buckled slightly from the force, realizing right then and there that Kaiokenx2 wouldn't work. If he wanted to end this now, he'd have to go higher then the Kaiokenx2. The amount of time he could use the Kaioken was limited, and was quickly running out. "KAIOKENx5! KAIOKENx7!"

Goku quickly pushed harder, no longer buckling under the force of Vegeta's Galick Gun. Deciding to end this before his body gave out, he released a yell,"KAIOKENx10!"

Goku pushed with all his might, not stopping until he was sure he could no longer feel the force of Vegeta's Galick Gun. Once he was sure, his Kamehameha wave thinned out, disappearing as if it never appeared in the first place. He fell forwards, landing with a hard thud, as he panted heavily.

(Scene Change)

An almost inaudible groan stopped the two from conversing. Both Krillin, and Gohan spared each other a quick glance of mutual understanding, before slowly coming to a halt, and then descending.

Raditz groaned, his eyes opening slowly, as memories of what all that transpired resurfaced. He sat up quickly, after his recollection, only to fall back down again, releasing a pained grunt in the process.

"Uncle Raditz! You shouldn't move around too much!"

Ignoring his nephew's words, he attempted to sit up again, this time doing so more slowly. "Kid, where's your father?"

Gohan blinked, registering his uncle's words, before he finally spoke, "He and the other Saiyan took off somewhere else."

"How long has he and Vegeta been fighting?"

"About or more than half an hour."

Raditz eyes widened slightly. He was out for that long? He turned his gaze to Gohan, "You two go on ahead."

Gohan and Krillin eyes locked on his form in shock, but he ignored them as he stood up. Krillin was the first to recover from his shock, and spoke first. "Are you insane?! You're still worn out from fighting earlier, and Goku said-"

Raditz turned around to face Krillin, his eyes narrowed, and his arms folded across his chest. "Despite whatever Kakarot may have said, I'm going. "

"But-"

Raditz released a irritated growl, "I owe no further explanation. Now either go on ahead without me, or follow me."

Raditz took off before either of the two could respond. It'd take about half an hour to catch up to Kakarot and Vegeta. In that time, he'd have to come up with a strategy or they were completely done for. He'd been beside Vegeta long enough to know what he was capable of. And one thing was definitely for certain: Vegeta's pride will not allow him to accept defeat, especially from a third class.

* * *

Power Levels (**once again, credit goes to Super Vegetarott**) :

Raditz: 5,000

Gohan: 2,500

Goku: 8,000(up to 24,000 with Kaioken x3)

Vegeta: 18,000

Everyone else: Canon counterparts

A/N: Apologies for taking so long. I'm not a fan of slow updates, and I know I can't be the only one. Anyway, somethings did get in the way (school, writers block), but I won't take longer than a month to update again, that's for sure. For now. :) Review.


	9. Chapter 9

{Disclaimer- I own nothing.}

Raditz mentally cursed. He could feel his brother's ki decreasing, and he could already tell that there was only so much more he could give and receive-he was nearing his limit.

Raditz felt the urge to quicken his pace, but dismissed it, analyzing the situation from a logical perspective. He was still worn out from today's battle, and if he wanted to be of any use to his younger brother, then he at least needed to reserve what little ki he could. At the rate he was flying, he probably had about a decent fifteen more minutes before he arrived at his location. He could, of course, speed up, but doing so wouldn't prove wise in the end. There was no point in showing up to a battle drained, doing so would only complicate matters further.

He knew his brother wouldn't have much fight left in him, but if he and his brother could work together then they'd most likely stand more of a chance and have a higher chance of surviving as opposed to fighting individually. Another thought that has been lingering in the back of his conscious, and another tactic that could possibly work besides teaming up, was the Oozaru state.

But as quickly as that thought came, it left. While it was true that he'd stand a much better chance against Vegeta, he wouldn't last long. Especially when Vegeta could just transform as well, and though Vegeta had to be greatly weakened, he'd still be stronger than him in his Oozaru state.

Raditz frowned, the wind slowly whipping his long hair as he continued his flight. He never knew the day would come when he'd be in a kill or be killed situation with Vegeta. But life certainly had a funny way of dishing out things, did it not?

His thoughts ceased when he felt two familiar ki signatures trailing him. So they decided to follow him after all, huh? He expected nothing less. He sparred neither of the two behind him a glance, but acknowledged that they were there by slightly slowing his pace. If he slowed his pace any slower, then they could possibly arrive at the scene a minute too late. Something that was unacceptable. Anything could occur, and it was never wise to be oblivious to that.

He just hoped that Kakarot would at least contain something that could shift things more in their favor. Surely, he must have picked a few things.

His thoughts came to a halt once more when Gohan spoke, "Do you have a plan?"

Raditz threw a glance in Gohan's direction, before directing his gaze back in front of him. "No." He didn't have a plan-at least not yet. The only 'plan' they could follow through with was cooperating with each other. He was certain that they already planned on teaming up, that was evident. "The only choice we have is to work together. If we don't, we'll be killed."

Silence fell after that, making it evident that another word wouldn't be spoken until they reached their destination.

(Scene Change)

Goku laid flat on his back, his eyes closed and his teeth clenched as he tried to move his body, but to no avail. It should have been more then obvious that he wouldn't be able move after the stunt he just pulled. _'King Kai most be furious. He did warn me after all.'_ He released a small laugh at the thought, before his features suddenly contorted into a look of pain. Almost immediately after, he paid for his actions because not even a few seconds later, he released a pained scream.

He mentally, lightly chided himself for failing to remember the situation he knew he'd end up in. He closed his eyes, a small smile laying across his features as his chest continuing to heave, in sync with his ragged intakes of breath. He could only imagine what Chi-Chi would say if she was to see him in a state such as the one he was currently in. Releasing a light, chuckle at the thought-having learn from his mistake the first time- he opened his eyes again, his gaze locked on the seemingly endless blue of sky above him.

This -no doubt- had to be one of the toughest opponents he had to confront, and he knew the flame-haired Saiyan wouldn't be the last of them. He was just grateful that he had been trained, and that his training with King Kai had indeed paid off. He wouldn't have stood a chance had he not received said training. More lives would have been lost had he not been able to defend the planet he inhabited since his childhood days. He still couldn't help regret the fact that the lives of some of his friends were lost. Dragon balls or not. The regret was still there. He couldn't help but wonder...had he arrived earlier, would he have been able to prevent at least some death's from occurring?

Yes.

And he couldn't help but feel as if he failed them.

Goku released a sigh, as he continued to stare up at the blue sky. He supposed he should try to summon a small portion of ki to get Krillin's and Gohan's attention. Just before he could do so, he sensed three ki levels heading in his direction, and grinned. He should have known that they wouldn't have gone far.

Gohan was the first to reach him. "Dad!" The young, half- saiyan was at his side in a matter of seconds, dropping to his knees as he leaned over his father, his facial features and gaze thick with concern and worry. "Are you okay?"

Goku looked up at his only child through half-lidded eyes, looking as if he was merely seconds from passing out. "I'm fine...Gohan."

Gohan didn't respond, instead he nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer he received from his father. His father wouldn't say he was fine if he didn't mean it, and even if his beaten appearance did somewhat contradict what he stated mere seconds ago, he didn't doubt him.

Krillin plopped down beside Goku, planning to get in a few words in, seeing that Gohan was mostly finished. He only saw it fit to allow Gohan to speak first, since this was the first time he was seeing his father again in almost two years- The battle didn't allow anyone to speak in a word about his return. "How are holding up, Goku?"

Goku sent Krillin a grin, before his eyes widened almost a minute later as if he was just remembering something. Forgetting the condition he was in, he attempted to sit up, "Raditz!"

Raditz raised an eyebrow when he detected the urgency his brother's voice contained. "What is it, Kakarot?"

Goku grimaced as he fought to stay in his position, his body trembling, realizing a minute to late that that was not a wise choice- he should have remained as he was. "Can you sense him? That Kamehameha wave should have taken him out, but..." Goku trailed off, figuring that Raditz could put the pieces together.

Raditz said nothing in response, but proceeded to seek out Vegeta's ki, his eyes now closed as he continued. Seconds later, he opened his eyes, his outward appearance displaying nothing as to what he may be thinking. The others watched him expectantly as they awaited his answer. Krillin, wanting to know whether or not he would be signing his death certificate today, decided to prod the other Saiyan, knowing that they'd probably be waiting for a response far longer than he liked if he didn't speak up soon. "Well?" '_Something tells me that I'm not going to like his answer,'_ Krillin thought inwardly as he mentally sighed.

"He's alive."

_'I just had to ask.' _

As soon as the awaited answer fell from Raditz lips, the sound of someone's feet coming in contact with the ground caught their ears. Everyone's head snapped in the direction of the source, no one needing the confirmation from anyone else to know who it was.

_Vegeta._

(Scene Change)

"Bulma, how far are we from them now?"

"We'll arrive no later than an hour," she replied dully, not bothering to turn around.

Master Roshi nodded at the blue-haired woman's response, deeming it most appropriate to not respond verbally. Ever since they could no longer see what was going on, she has been quiet, not uttering a single word. He knew what the cause of her silence was, and why she was trying her best to hold in it all in, he had no idea. To lose a loved one was indeed painful, but to _see_ the death of a loved one was even more painful. He had enough experience to know how it felt, and it was something he hoped he'd never have to experience again, but he knew that just the thought of that was wishful thinking. It was naive and ignorant to hope that something like wouldn't occur.

It was inevitable.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm going to start making the chapters longer than this, no need to worry. Anyway, the power levels from the previous chapter apply to this one as well. As I stated before, **the credit** **for any power levels you see goes to Super Vegetarott.** The next chapter will conclude the battle with Vegeta and the Namek Saga will be introduced in the next chapter as well. I also want to take the time to thank all of my reviewers. Your support is very much appreciated.

Next Update: 4/19/13 or 4/20/13 (if nothing goes wrong)


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